Quick-action interlocking suspension fastener



Jan. 26, 1965 N. L. BROYLES 3,167,342

QUICK-ACTION INTERLOCKING SUSPENSION FASTENER Filed Dec. 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. NED L. BROYLES ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 26, 1965 N. l... BROYLES 3,167,342

QUICK-ACTION INTERLOCKING SUSPENSION FASTENER Filed Dec. 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

NED L. BROYLES ATTORNEYS United States Patent The invention described herein may be manufactured I and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the pay- 'ment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to interlocking fasteners and more particularly to a quick detachable interlocking fastener for connecting a pair of bridles at the mid-points thereof to a support in such manner that a load attached to the bridles may be suspended therefrom.

The invention is particularly well suited for use with a litter for hoisting an injured person, for example, from the scene of an accident to a place of safety.

In devices of this character heretofore devised it has been the usual practice when connecting a Stokes litter to a helicopter, for example, for helicopter rescue of 'an injured'person, to employ four suspension cables attached to the litter and having the free end's'thereof formed in a loop whichis slipped over a U-shaped ring with two cables over each leg thereof and to insert a bolt through the legs of the U-shaped ring to connect the two legs and provide a-lifting surface. A nut is thereafter fitted to the bolt to prevent slippage of the-bolt through the ring member and the U-shaped ring holding the four cables with bolt and nut in place is placed on the hoisting hook. Such a device has not proved altogether satisfactory under all conditions of service by reason 'of the multiplicity of the separateparts employed in the attachment'fitting comprising four separate cable loops, the U-ring, the nut 'and the bolt. In practice the nut and bolt must first be removed from the U-ring' and, after placing the injuredperson on the litter, the four cables must be placedon .the U-ri'ng and secured with the nut and bolt before" allowing the helicopter to hoist the injured person. This procedure is rendered ditficult and time consuming by reason of the fact that these operations may be accomplished in certain cases solely by the flight surgeon who may be'the only person available who has been lowered from the helicopter to attempt a rescue.

The present invention possessesiall of the advantages of theprior art devices and none of the foregoing disadvantages. In accordance with the teaching of the present invention this desirable result is achieved by employing a pair of bridles connected to the litter, each of thebridles having a fixture connected to an intermediate point thereon in such manner-that the bridles may be placed in such a position that they do not interfere with the stowing of the injured person in the litter and thereafter are quickly brought into interlocking engagement and connected to a suspension hook whereby the injured man may be raised and suspended by the helicopter withand establishing a hoisting connectionto the interlocking means. I Still another object is the provision of a new and 1m- 3,167,342 Patented Jan. 26, 1965 for supporting a load when the fixtures are mutually.

locked.

A still further object isthe provision of a new and improved fastener comprising two fixtures each of which supports a load and one of which additionally supports the other fixture when the fixtures are interlocked.

Still other objects, advantages .and improvements will be apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a litter supported by a fastener of the present invention in accordance with a preferred form thereof;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged view of the fastener of FIG. 1 and the supporting means therefor;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the fastener of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged plan view of one of the fittings comprising the fastener of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the complementary fastener for use with the device of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings on which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views and more particularly toFIG. 1 thereof, there is shown thereon a litter indicated generally by the numeral 10 which may be of any type suitable for the purpose such, for example, as a Stokes litter, to which is secured in a suitable manner four dispensing cables 11,

1 2, 13 and 14. The cables 11 and 12 are each connected and fixture 17 comprise bridle indicated generally by the numeral 19. v t

Each of the fixtures 16 and i7 is composed of sheet metal, preferably stainless steel, having a thickness of approximately, /8 inch and configured generally in'the form best shown on FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings.

Fixture 17, FIG. 4, comprises a flat portion 21preferably having a rounded end 22 and an elongated aperture 23 therein for engagement with a hook 24, FIG. 1, which may be swiveled, if desired, within a block 25 having a line 26 connected thereto by means of which the hook may be raised or lowered at will. The fixture 17 also comprises a second flat portion 27 bent transversely as at 28 at an angle vwith respect to the fiatportion 21, the

1 degree of bending between portions 27 and 21 of the establish a connection between fixture 17 and .cables 13 and 14 when the pins are assembled therein. The fixture 17 is also provided with a transversely reduced portion 32 forming a pair of shoulders 33 for engagement by fixture 16, FIG. 2, for suspension of fixture 16 thereby. I The complementaryfixture 16, FIG. 6, is preferably configured substantially as illustrated and provided with a pair of holes 29 for engagement with the clevis pins of cables 11 and 12 to establish a connection therebetween. The fixture 16 is preferably flat throughout and provided with an aperture 34 therein having a pair of surfaces 35 and 36 preferably flat in configuration and tapering slightly outwardly from each other at the portion furthest removed from the holes 29. The degree of separation of these two surfaces is such that the reduced portion 32 of fixture 17 when arranged transversely v fastener accordingttooclaim-l in which fthetfiirtnres therehetween is r'noveablebetween the surfaces when the v V shjofilders '33 of fixture 17 are in engagerr ient Withjfikture a; fare each composed ofisheet metal.-

ir' aising an injured person from -the seenetof an accident" to a safe location by a pair of 'bridlegit isfnot'so limited 4,

16-and fixture 17, additionally engages a transyerse sur-o I v 3. Afastener accordin'gtoklaim Z in Which said first fixture includes} W a close to rednceniovement' between fixturfes"16 0, 1 V

H i t I is suspendedffrom the support j E'Ihe fixture- 163s alsoj'grovided gv ith n keYWflXIQfi on, .and the-b'ridle Cables'support ajloa d a transverse bentiportion intermediate theeye faortion, V V andvbridle pable' supporting portionwhereby the Hat 1 a'minimnm, when the fixturesare Vinthe'assembledfposh 5 T portion is substantially ertical whenthe first fixture tiOnJ r t the oppo site sideofaperturefMtroin 'ranverse surface 37' 1 0 4 A device ';qui1 1y connectingaslittertea hoist and of SllfllCiBl'll; dejith to allow the hat portion 21 of ,hookgthei'litterhariing a pail-of bridle cables connected fixture 1 7 to be easilyi- -inserted' thereingand thereafter thereto fr om which the cable" islfsuspended when the given a rotative m vement of 90 with respect t he'retq litterflis hoisted, tthe-iniproyenien t comprising 9 o whereby-the parts are, locked together substantially as 'a first fixturelconnected to one" of said bridlefcables sh oW'non'FIG. 1-3 of the drawings andifixture 16 is and, having-an eyefformed therein for connections usp ended by fixt re 17 at a predetermined anglejwith V 1f t'o'the hookanda pair of oppositely disposed shoulresp ecbthert I w 7 if i ders thereon intermediatesaideyep'ortion and the ,Wh'en' -fiXture 16 is thus connected to figrtnre fl the bridle connection to. thefifxtnre, fastener isin theassembled position and'bridles'klSiand and a second fixtnre having' a keyway'therein'toreceive 19 are connected-together withontemploying alto'ol for. j theeyejfiortiontof thefirst,fiktureandeonfignred;to thislpurpqse Theasse'rnbled fastener-" islnowconnected; lock'the'se condfixture to' the first fixture in enga 'get hoo byp a ng'th'qh k iro ishjap izafj ""ment Withsaidshonlders when the. secondfixture fiilture ,1 75Wher ebyi' the litter mayfbe'rqised by tensionfl has beenrotated 90: with respect to the-firstffixture; said second fix't ure haying l asecohdibridle;cable co-n nected thereto in snclim'anner that the bridle cables suppopt ahloadhwhen thetlfifrst fixture 's, suspended 'Whe'r eas the invention'hasbeenzdescrib'edwith petition I lar referen'ce'to a litter connectable'? to ajhelicopter' f ori p jSEA?fastener comprisingV 1 I nterlojcking 'quiclc detachable; fixtures,

as i't'maybe advantage'biislyvemployed in thesus ension j apair of of aload other than alitterdand fiirthermore jt ebridle' 30 1 the fir t 13- saidjfixtu "having agflatp ortion with zan connections may be replacedbya pairof; lines separable fixtlireelements of the connector to l the l oad, if

' ejei therieinfor co ectiorlto a hoist, hook, j pair of cables connected; to. saidlfirs tl fixture 'at the o pbm iiiz-inereof opposite; said e ,v .7

greater inilmber'fof cableslor chainsfiinterconnecting;thel

Whatis claimed as new'iajnd es red t Letters Batentiof the: States is 1 'Ssaid" cane c nnectin'g'meansihavifiggpair or oppositely configuration than the preferred, form lillus'tifa'te d and' d 1nvention" ha si b'een described 7 with v apparent' tp oneskillecl inthelgrt, glitter-unfit; ta

be made without dep disp os ed' shenlders forrned t ereon;

' intojai d kei way and rotated 90 with respect: ther ibr'idle' cable thereto 'in anianfiei""to snbport a? 10a R., mine d fixtureshaving ake'YWay tori-receiying 

1. A FASTENER COMPRISING A PAIR OF INTERLOCKING QUICK DETACHABLE FIXTURES, A FIRST ONE OF SAID FIXTURES HAVING A FLAT PORTION WITH AN EYE FORMED THEREIN FOR CONNECTION TO A SUPPORT, MEANS CONNECTING A BRIDLE CABLE TO SAID FIRST FIXTURE, SAID CABLE CONNECTING MEANS HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SHOULDERS FORMED THEREON, A SECOND FIXTURE HAVING A KEYWAY THEREIN FOR RECEIVING SAID FLAT PORTION OF SAID FIRST FIXTURE, MEANS ON SAID SECOND FIXTURE ENGAGEABLE BY SAID SHOULDERS WHEN SAID FLAT PORTION HAS BEEN INSERTED INTO SAID KEYWAY AND ROTATED 90* WITH RESPECT THERETO LOCKING THE SECOND FIXTURE TO THE FIRST FIXTURE FOR SUSPENSION THEREBY, 